


Crimson Tempest

by MelissaMajoria



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Canonical Character Death, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route Spoilers, Implied/Referenced Sex, My Unit | Byleth Has Emotions, Non-Canonical Character Death, Unhappy Ending, no beta we die like Glenn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:55:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24832720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelissaMajoria/pseuds/MelissaMajoria
Summary: Crimson Flower Dimileth that does not end well for anyone. Major spoilers for Crimson Flower route, of course.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & My Unit | Byleth, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth, Edelgard von Hresvelg & My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 4
Kudos: 28





	Crimson Tempest

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fic I've written in a VERY long time and the first for FE3H. 
> 
> This is also the first writing project that I've finished in... forever. 
> 
> I have a tendency to over comma. Please be warned.
> 
> Also please be warned that this hurts. A lot. Please enjoy the pain.

“Let me go, Hubert,” Byleth said firmly.  
“You know I can’t do that, Professor,” the mage said. “You are a liability to Her Majesty now. Though it’s clear that you have been for a while now.”  
Byleth looked across the plains, seeing Edelgard and Dimitri approaching each other. Lightning flashed and she could see the determination on Dimitri’s face. The same determination she’d seen almost six years ago now. 

_They kept running into each other, late at night. Both unable to sleep, they found themselves in the training hall while everyone else slept. Byleth knew her own insomnia had nothing on Dimitri’s judging by the dark circles under his eyes, but they found solace in each other regardless.  
It was simple at first, sparring until they were exhausted enough to sleep. When their bodies were tired but their minds not, they stayed up chatting or quizzing each other on the current topics Dimitri was learning and/or Byleth was teaching. And in those moments they were no longer professor and student, but two friends finding comfort in each other’s presence.  
Eventually their conversations grew deeper, more meaningful. Dimitri revealed his reasons for attending the academy, the survivor’s guilt he lived with, the revenge he sought after. Byleth told him about the mysterious girl who lived in her head (much to said girl’s dismay).  
But the thing about him that affected her the most was the determination he had on his face as they sparred, it was different than any of the other students. Felix and Caspar were determined to defeat her. Leonie was determined to prove something to her. But Dimitri… his determination was different from theirs. She couldn’t put her finger on exactly what it was. _

She knew what that determination was, now. It was the revenge, the justice he had sought after for so long. He had been determined to get stronger, to learn the identity of those responsible for the suffering in his life. If he managed to defeat Edelgard, to win this war now, would he finally be free of the voices that plagued him?  
Byleth finally broke free of Hubert, running towards the battle between the King and Emperor. She ignored his angry cries, ignored the pain when a weakened dark magic spell hit her leg. He clearly didn’t want to kill her, only slow her down.  
Byleth tensed as she saw Edelgard lifting her powerful axe. She had to get to them quickly. She could only watch as Dimitri stiffened, his eyes widening as Edelgard’s blow connected. 

_Dimitri had stiffened, his eyes widening as she pulled him close to her when he came to see her the evening after Remire. She pulled him into her room and he slowly relaxed, his arms wrapping tightly around her. “Are you alright?” he asked.  
“It was awful, Dimitri,” she said. “Those poor people.” His arms around her tightened. After a moment she pulled back to look up at him. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have…” But she was still gripping him, afraid to let go. She’d never felt like this, her chest swelling with something new.  
It grew even stronger when Dimitri’s hand lifted to brush her hair back. “Professor…” he whispered reverently.  
She shook her head. “Use my name,” she requested.  
His eyes widened again and he swallowed hard. “Byleth…” he whispered with even more reverence than before.  
She kissed him, then, the first of many that night… and in the nights to come. Neither had any experience in these matters, but they learned as they went on, the first kiss turning into the second and the third and so on.  
Time passed, as it does, and before long they were standing in the Goddess Tower and Dimitri was asking her to return to the Kingdom with him after graduation. “I can’t bear the thought of us separating,” he told her between kisses as they held each other tightly.  
“I feel the same, Dimitri, I truly do. But my father…”  
“He can come too, of course. I would be honored to have a Knight such as Jeralt in service to the Kingdom.”  
She could only smile as he slid a ring onto her finger. “I know you can’t wear it while we’re at the academy, but I want you to have it.”  
“I never truly knew happiness until I met you, Dimitri,” she said after she had led him back to her room.  
But happiness is fleeting and before she had the chance to tell her father about any of it, he was in her arms, dying. _

She didn’t want a repeat of that day, of another man she loved dying in her arms. She was relieved when Dimitri’s armor seemed to block the majority of the blow. She could see their mouths moving as they continued to trade blows and she wondered what they said to each other.  
Dimitri had of course told her of the time he and Edelgard had spent together in the Kingdom, of the connection few knew about. Byleth had been surprised when Edelgard seemed to have little to no memory of the events. It made more sense to her now, the strange experiments Edelgard had undergone robbing her of her memories of that time. It was heartbreaking since Dimitri had been so fond of their time together. How different could things have been if she’d simply remembered him?  
Lightning flashed again and she could see that Edelgard’s eyes were cold as she swung at Dimitri again.

_Edelgard’s cold eyes were a sharp contrast to Dimitri’s warm eyes, much like the their contrasting words. Edelgard’s words held no comfort as Byleth lamented the death of her father, while Dimitri offered nothing but comfort. He was there in the night when nightmares of her trying futilely to save her father awoke her again and again.  
“I don’t know who to trust anymore,” she whispered in the dark as they lie tangled together.  
“You can always trust me,” he told her. “I will never let you down.” She believed him and so she gave him the ring her father had left.  
She was running off to the Sealed Forest before she had time to think, chasing after Monica, no, Kronya. Merging with Sothis and killing those who had been responsible for the death of her father, a weight lifted from her chest. Was this the feeling Dimitri was chasing? Relief that the monsters in the dark could never hurt anyone ever again? If only that were true. She passed out and woke up again in Rhea’s arms, wishing they were Dimitri’s.  
Before long she made her wish come true and she lay in Dimitri’s arms as he played with her newly colored hair. “You’re even more beautiful than before,” he had commented in that soft reverent voice when seeing her changed look.  
She shared her qualms about Rhea with him, the strange comments the woman had made. “I don’t understand what she expects from me. She gives me such odd looks, as if she thinks I’m someone else. It’s unsettling.” She told him what she had read in her father’s journal and he’d pressed his ear to her chest, confirming Jeralt’s words. “What’s wrong with me?” she asked, tears spilling over.  
“Absolutely nothing. You are perfect just the way you are,” he reassured her, kissing her tears away. “My heart will beat for both of us.”  
She lay with her head on Dimitri’s chest then, letting his heartbeat comfort her._

If she had a heartbeat, it would be racing right now as she worried she would not get to them in time. She was closing in, but Edelgard’s blows were beginning to overwhelm Dimitri as both of her crests activated. Byleth wanted to shout, to do something, anything, but she knew it would be futile. There was little she could do now. Had there ever been anything she could do? She had felt helpless for so long now.  
Things had been simpler when she had been known as the Ashen Demon, when she didn’t **feel** so much. It was troublesome to feel such loyalty and love for opposing forces. But she would never take it back. The positive feelings always outweighed the negative ones, even the grief she had felt for her father.  
Dimitri’s eyes were hard as he lifted Areadbhar to block the next devastating blow. 

_Dimitri’s eyes were hard as he grabbed her wrist and roughly pulled her into his room. He closed the door behind them and pushed her against the wall. “Did you know?”  
“No, Dimitri, of course not. I swear it. I had no idea what was going to happen.”  
He let go of her wrist and turned away, hands rubbing his face. “You shouldn’t be here. It isn’t safe.”  
“I had to see you,” she said, stepping towards him.  
“If Rhea catches you…”  
“I don’t care about Rhea.”  
“That woman has declared war on the church. How could you side with her?”  
“Dimitri… Rhea demanded that I kill her. I couldn’t do that.” She looked at the ground. “I’ll understand if you hate me.”  
He squeezed his eyes shut. “I want to, but I can’t. I love you, Byleth. I don’t understand why you’re helping her, but I still love you.”  
“I didn’t know about any of it. I’m still uncertain about it all.” She pulled one of his hands into her own, squeezing it tightly. “Please, look at me, Dimitri.”  
He turned to her, his eyes opening. She saw so many emotions in those eyes - pain, confusion, anger… and love. His lips crashed into hers. “Please, promise me that you’ll still return to the Kingdom with me,” he said between kisses.  
“I promise,” she said.  
But promises were made to be broken. The Battle of Garreg Mach came and Byleth fell into her deep slumber._

Byleth leapt in front of Dimitri as Aymr arced into the air. It was reminiscent of when they’d all first met, when she’d leapt in front of Edelgard as the bandit’s axe threatened her life. Without Sothis, it would have been over then and there. But Sothis was gone now and Byleth had made the same deadly mistake she had made so long ago. The powerful weapon sliced through both hers and Dimitri’s flesh.  
Dimitri slid to his knees, Byleth in his arms. “My teacher!” Edelgard cried. “Why? Why would you do this?” Aymr fell to the ground and she followed it, gripping Byleth’s hand.  
“Beloved,” Dimitri cried weakly. “Why?” he echoed Edelgard.  
“Linhardt! Dorothea! Somebody!” Edelgard shrieked. “Don’t move, my teacher.” Tears were streaming down her face.  
“I’m sorry, Edelgard,” Byleth said. She turned to Dimitri. The hand that wasn’t attached to Edelgard reached up to caress his face. “I couldn’t stand by and watch you die.” She coughed, sputtering blood onto his furs.  
“What is the meaning of this?” Edelgard demanded through her tears.

_“What is the meaning of this?”  
Those were the words that haunted Byleth’s nightmares as she dreamed of Edelgard (or Rhea) catching her with Dimitri. It wasn’t easy for either of them to sneak away. After she had awoken, she wasn’t sure how to ask about him without divulging too much. Eventually she learned that he had left for the Kingdom with Rhea. That was a complication. She wasn’t sure how to get a message to him without alerting either Edelgard or Rhea, but she needed to see him. Eventually she made an excuse and snuck her way into Fhirdiad. She was lucky enough to run into Sylvain, who snuck her back to the castle under the guise of one of his conquests. Dimitri met her in a guest room.  
“Is it really you?” he asked from across the room.  
“Dimitri!” she cried, running to him. He caught her, lifting her up. He was taller now, his long hair falling into his face. She brushed it back and held his face in her hands. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” The chain around his neck was hidden beneath furs, but it was still in place, still held the ring she had given him. He hadn’t forgotten her, even after all this time.  
They met a few more times in a village not far from the monastery. They often argued during these meetings, but only briefly.  
“I don’t see how we can make it out of this, Dimitri,” she whispered to him.  
“I can tell Rhea to leave and you can come back to the Kingdom with me.”  
“That’s just as good as you declaring war on the church. How is that helping anything?”  
He shook his head. “Can you just apologize to Rhea? Tell her you made a mistake?”  
“I still can’t sit by and watch as Edelgard is killed.”  
“Why not? I don’t understand how you can be complicit in her war.”  
“You’re right, you don’t understand. You look at Edelgard and you see the cause of all of your problems. She looks at Rhea and sees the same. You are more similar than either of you will admit.”  
“You may be right, but I don’t see a world in which we can both exist. We’re both too stubborn for that. We don’t believe in the same things, in the same future for Fodlan.”  
Byleth sighed. “I don’t know what to do.”  
Dimitri pulled her closer. “I love you, Byleth. That hasn’t changed. Not even after five years. No matter what you decide, I will still love you.”  
Even if it meant she had to kill him? Or stand by while Edelgard did? Or stand by while he killed Edelgard? She couldn’t do that, any of it. She wanted it all, but unfortunately sometimes decisions are made for you when you can’t make them yourself._

Dimitri brushed her mint hair back, feeling dizzy. Byleth may have slowed the attack, but his wounds were fatal as well. “I love you,” she whispered, struggling to keep her eyes open. He leaned in to kiss her one last time. “And I love you,” he told her. She smiled as her eyes finally closed for good. He pressed his lips to her forehead before turning to Edelgard. It was getting harder to stay upright.  
“I hope… this war… was worth it… El…” Dimitri choked out as he finally fell fully to the ground, Byleth still in his arms.  
Edelgard looked down at her stepbrother and her teacher, curled around each other.  
  
**Was** this all worth it?

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there. Long time reader, first time poster. 
> 
> This has some serious issues that I am well aware of, but I did what I had to in order to make it work.  
> The first being that imo Byleth has the emotional capacity of a peanut for the majority of pre-timeskip and is unable to truly fall in love until much later.  
> The second being that Dimitri is way more forgiving of Byleth and her choices, or lack thereof. I don't think that he would be so forgiving of Byleth siding with Edelgard in the war. But, you know, the power of love or whatever.  
> Also, if this kind of thing bothers you, I don't think it's totally clear, but they don't have the sex until after he turns 18.  
> And that damn title was just me smashing words together and hoping they worked okay. I have this saved on my computer as "dimileth crimson flower saaaaad" (if you've seen Disenchantment, then I hope you're saying 'sad' in your head the same way Matt Berry does because I know I am).
> 
> This was a break from the bajillion word fic I'm working on that is pretty much the exact opposite of this. If I ever finish it, I might post it. I dunno. It's Dimitri/OC so I'm not sure if anyone would actually care? I'm overthinking it in more ways than one. I also have a couple of other FE3H ideas (one Silver Snow Dimileth and another that I'm jokingly calling "Me, my best friend, and the Sword of Zoltan") and a few other half-baked ideas and stuff for some other fandoms so.............. who knows what the future will bring. Maybe nothing.


End file.
